state of the art: kyle brooks - blackcattips

today i'm launching a personal project i have wanted to do for years; it's called state of the art.  every week i will feature one local creative that i find inspiring.  state of the art will feature visual artists, chefs, performance artists, writers, recording artists, directors, photographers, designers, and many more.  i will interview each subject, take pics of them creating, a few portraits, and some shots of a finished work.  the goal of this project is to bring awareness to these creatives and inspire others.  if you would like to nominate a creative please email me jason@hales.photo.

kicking things off is kyle brooks, or better known in atlanta as @blackcattips.  

you never know when you are going to see kyle's art; it's spread all over atlanta.  self described as a street folk artist; you may recognize his art from his bear mural on the belt line or random art hanging on telephone poles.  if you live in atlanta you have seen kyle's work; you just may not have known it. 

i wanted to feature kyle because his work makes me laugh.  i think it is a rare thing to find visual art that is in it's own way comedy.  kyle says he "gravitates toward funny stuff; something about the humor in it that i like".

how did you get started?

"i was always a doodler" kyle started making paintings on canvas with no plan other than to make more paintings.  "when i met my wife she came to my place and said 'what are you going to do with all of these paintings?'  i guess that is how it all started."

why the name blackcattips?

"at one point i had an old black cat, but it had nothin' to do with a cat really.  i just needed some words.  i like mixin' words.  i put those together, and said 'i like how that sounds'."

ask him for yourself; i have a feeling you will get a different answer.  also, ask him about the clown bike in savannah.

taking photos while kyle worked was a blast, but the best part was listening to his stories.  his art is amusing, but it is nothing compared to the man behind the art.  thank you kyle for participating in my project, for taking the time, for making great art, and for all the laughs.  you can see more images from my time with kyle here.  you can follow kyle on instagram @blackcattips and facebook.  buy some of kyle's work at www.blackcattips.com.

featured artist next week: ryan weaver of kingdom tattoo